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This may seem like an odd topic, but I couldn’t help but wonder after a YouTube video popped up in my feed, entitled “Wyatt Earp’s Nephew, Virgil Earp (Born in 1879), Talks About the Wild West“.  There are two reasons why this is of interest to me.  I just finished a two-part magazine series on the 1950s (in honor of the 1950 census release in April of this year).  In the last issue I wrote extensively about one particular aspect of that far-reaching (and “fabulous”) decade:  “Prime Time & Misdemeanors: The Rise and Fall of Television’s First Golden Age”.

The late 1940s through the late 1950s have been referred to as the first “Golden Age of Television”, a time when the airwaves were awash in a sea of game and quiz shows which aired morning, noon and night. Unlike radio, which had long provided audio entertainment to the masses, television was an audiovisual format – a way to not only hear, but see live events. Some shows, like College Bowl, Who Said That, Truth of Consequences and Queen for a Day, had been radio shows which later moved to television (or for a time aired on both formats).

The height of quiz show-mania occurred between 1955 and 1958, dominating the airwaves with shows like The $64,000 Question, The $64,000 Challenge, Dotto and Twenty-One, all of which offered the chance to win hundreds of dollars by answering “general knowledge” questions. However, the main purpose of these “get-rich-quick” shows was to enrich the network and show sponsors like Geritol, Colgate-Palmolive and Revlon.  Revlon made a boat-load sponsoring The $64,000 Question — to the tune of a $64 million increase in sales — by the time the show (and others with similar formats) were cancelled by late 1958.

However, in early 1958 Virgil Edwin Earp, the son of Newton Jasper Earp (Wyatt’s half-brother), appeared on The $64,000 Question and his category was (surprise, surprise!) the Wild West.  The episode which popped up on YouTube was the chance to double his previous winnings of $16,000 (to $32,000).  Virgil was asked three multi-part questions related to the “Wild West” and he answered every one correctly and scheduled to appear again the following week where he would have the chance to win $64,000.  It appears, however, that Virgil Earp, a self-proclaimed gambler, decided not to proceed to the next level, ending his streak at $32,000 in winnings.

In 1958 Virgil Earp was 79 years old and the last Earp of any fame.  His father Newton and all his half-siblings (James, Virgil, Wyatt, Morgan, Warren and Adelia) had all passed on.  It just so happens this particular Earp is related to me through my maternal grandmother (Okle Emma (Erp) Young).  Even though my grandmother’s family (and a generation or two before her) changed the spelling of their name to “Erp” vs. “Earp”, we are related.  According to Marc McDermott’s “Cousin Calculator” I (and all my first cousins on the Young side of the family) are related to Wyatt and his siblings, including Newton, as fourth cousins, three times removed.  That would make Virgil Edwin Earp a fifth cousin, twice removed, and the ancestor we all share is Joshua Joseph Earp (1706-1771).

Not only did Virgil win $32,000, but he made a name for himself by regaling viewers and the studio audience with tales from the Old West.  Mind you, the Earp family was still making headlines in the 1950s. Newspapers around the nation would, from time to time, feature articles about their legendary (factual and fictitious) escapades as lawmen and gunslingers.  Before exploring answers to the two questions – did Virgil get the answers ahead of the show and was he really born in Tombstone – some Earp history is in order. . . .

The rest of what will be an extensive article on the Earps and the answer to these two questions will appear in the next issue of Digging History Magazine in “The Dash” column.  Some of the stories will be familiar, but at least one incident involving Wyatt Earp is one which very few biographers mention.  If you’d like to read the article (and the entire issue — see what’s brewing here), email me and I’ll send you a special link to purchase the upcoming issue for $3.99 ($2 off regular price) — [email protected].

Having spent two or three weeks working on genealogical research projects and a special chart project, I’m back to researching/writing/editing the next issue of Digging History Magazine.  The issue will be out in early September and will feature a number of topics which I’ve had on the back burner for awhile:

• Courtship, Marriage and Divorce: Early American Style – a look at courtship, marriage and divorce in early America — customs, laws, finding records and more.
• Ye Olde Runaway Marriages:  Tying the Knot at a “Gretna Green” – Have you ever found it difficult to locate an ancestor’s marriage record?  Perhaps they didn’t wed in the county where they lived.  Maybe the couple, like my own great grandparents, traveled to a distant county where the marriage laws were a bit more lax, or where no one knew them (my great grandfather was 19 and my great grandmother was only 13).  A fascinating history and lots of stories!
• Mining Genealogical Gold:  It Pays to PERSI(st):  uncovering buried treasure in newsletters, magazines and journals – A look at one of the research tools many family history researchers may never have heard of.  The Periodical Source Index (PERSI) is maintained by the staff of the Genealogy Center of the Allen County Public Library (Ohio).  According to their web site PERSI is the premier subject index for genealogy and local history periodicals, consisting of more than 3 million citations to readily-available periodical sources.  The article will feature techniques, tips and examples of stories to be uncovered.
• Oh, Dear!  The Pitfalls of Genealogical Research (gold mine or land mine)?  This particular article covers the “Oh, Dear!” moments most genealogists have come across in their research.  These days many people are uncovering devastating family secrets through DNA testing, but in early America you might find references to ancestors accused of witchcraft or even incest.  When we come across these shocking facts, how should we respond?
• The Dash:  Virgil Edwin Earp (1879-1959) – The premise of this article was formed when a YouTube video appeared in my feed.  Wyatt Earp’s nephew was appearing on the wildly popular 1950s quiz show, The $64,000 Question.  He was also regaling viewers with tales from the Old West (his category was the “Wild West”).  Had he really killed a man at the age of 18?  Was he really born in storied Tombstone?  Given the scandals surrounding the show (and others), did Virgil get the answers ahead of time (he won $32,000).  It will be a fascinating article about not only Virgil’s life and quiz show appearance, but a great deal of Earp family history (I am related to this family through my maternal grandmother who was an Erp/Earp).

It will be a great issue, filled with stories, tips, book reviews and more!  Look for it in the magazine store in early September.  Or consider a subscription and never miss an issue!

It’s been a busy year which means I have found myself “behind schedule” a LOT, blog posts included.  So, here’s a synopsis of what I’ve been up to, especially writing-wise.  Given my busy schedule, my new motto is “Better Late Than Half-Baked”.

I started off 2021 with what I thought would begin perhaps a two-issue series entitled, “From Whence We Came:  Appalachia”.  Little did I know what was in store.  It was an ambitious project and, as it turns out, couldn’t be accomplished in two issues.  I just finished the FOURTH (and final!) issue of this interesting and informative series.  Here’s a synopsis of each issue’s highlights and a link to purchase or subscribe:

• Part 1:  This issue featured a cover depicting Daniel Boone leading settlers over the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky.  This issue featured a “Mining Genealogical Gold” column which highlighted the history and resources for finding ancestors who settled in the Appalachian regions of Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina.  “Hurrah for the Ladies:  The Confederate Women of East Tennessee” was a fascinating article to research and write.  East Tennessee was a unique place to be during the Civil War — more voted against secession than voting for it, and after the Union Army took over early in the war, it made for an interesting way of life for “the other side”, in particular the Confederate-sympathizing women.  The issue included book reviews and a fascinating “Family History Toolbox”.  The issue wrapped up with a genealogical mystery — just how old was John Shell.  Everyone knew when he died, but when exactly was he born?  January-February 2021 issue available here.
• Part 2:  This issue featured a “Mining Genealogical Gold” column which highlighted the history and resources for finding ancestors who settled in the Appalachian region of Virginia and West Virginia (which lies entirely in Appalachia).  Also included were a couple of articles which featured a bit of Kentucky history — one from the early twentieth century (“Moonlight School:  Teaching ABC’s to Mountain Moonshiners”) and another from the Depression area (“Book Lady, we’ve been waiting for you!”).  I have been wanting to write an article on the so-called Melungeons for some time and I finally got around to it — “Melungeons: a very strange people (who made moonshine whiskey)”.  A great story about a much maligned and misunderstood people.  March-April 2021 issue available here.
• Part 3:  This issue featured a “Mining Genealogical Gold” column which highlighted the history and resources for finding ancestors who settled in the Appalachian region of Georgia and Alabama.  This one was of particular interest to me since I have ancestors who settled in this part of Alabama.  This issue also featured yet another article I’ve been meaning to write for some time.  This one, set in the Depression era, is entitled “Moving Mattie”.  It’s the story of one woman’s defiance when Franklin Roosevelt and one of his many “alphabet soup” agencies decided to flood the land she and and family lived on.  After coming across the records documenting her scrap with the government some time ago, I knew I had to write about Mattie Randolph’s plight.  May-June 2021 issue available here.
• Part 4 (The End!):  This issue was a wrap-up of the series and featured three extensive articles which I wasn’t able to squeeze in earlier.  Another “Appalachian Way” article features everything from folk medicine, folk magic and granny witches to snake handlers and child brides.  A second article — “Appalachian Feuds (between people not named Hatfield or McCoy)” — features two long and bloody Kentucky feuds.  An article entitled “Oh, The Stories I Find!” features what I call a “December-May” marriage which began making headlines in 1946.  What a character was Mattie Lyons Large Sprouse!  July-August 2021 issue available here.

I have a special offer with these four extensive Appalachian issues.  Subscribe before the next issue comes out (October 31) and you’ll get all four issues.  Subscription options are available to fit any budget:  https://digging-history.com/digging-history-magazine-subscription/.  Need help subscribing?  Contact me for assistance:  [email protected].

Looking Ahead

The next two issues are shaping up.  The September-October issue will be another “Un-Shelved” issue, similar to a couple of 2020 issues when I featured a number of articles that were previously “shelved” because I couldn’t squeeze them in (or I was too far behind schedule!).  Plans are to include an article from last year’s two-issue New Mexico series, entitled “Tales From the Bootheel and Beyond:  The Ghost Towns and Storied History of Southwestern New Mexico”.  An “OK, I Give Up… what is it?” column will feature some obsolete terminology I’ve come across in researching family history.  Should be a fascinating article!

The last issue of 2021 will be an ambitious one covering what became known as “Manifest Destiny”, a phrase coined by John O’Sullivan and executed by President James K. Polk (and beyond).  Some historians view it as a way for 1840s-era Democrats to justify the Mexican-American War.  That war was in fact central to the whole concept of Manifest Destiny and this issue will also feature an article about finding resources for Mexican-American War ancestors.

All of which means I will be busy from now until the end of the year with not only writing but genealogical research for clients.  Say a prayer for me!

Sharon Hall, Publisher & Editor, Digging History Magazine